Armed men carry out coordinated attacks in Mali’s capital, says Army

A soldier remains in position during an attack on Mali’s main military base, in Kati, on the outskirts of the capital Bamako, this Saturday (25) Stringer/Reuters Militants carried out attacks in Mali’s capital, Bamako, and in several points in the interior of the country this Saturday morning (25), the country’s army reported, in an apparently coordinated offensive involving multiple groups. Two loud explosions and intense gunfire were heard shortly before 6 a.m. (3 a.m. Brasília time) near the country’s main military base in Kati, on the outskirts of Bamako, and soldiers were deployed to block roads in the region, a witness told Reuters. There were similar disturbances at the same time in the central city of Sevaré and the city of Kidal and the city of Gao in northern Mali. “There are gunshots everywhere,” said a witness in Sevaré. Mali faces insurgencies from affiliates of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in West Africa. The country also grapples with a long history of Tuareg-led rebellions in the north. See the videos that are trending on g1 In a statement, the Army stated that unidentified terrorist groups attacked several positions in the capital and other regions, without specifying the locations. He also said that the fighting continued and asked the population to remain calm. Mali’s military leaders took power after coups in 2020 and 2021, promising to restore security, but militants continue to carry out frequent attacks on armed forces and civilians. Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, spokesman for the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a Tuareg-dominated rebel alliance, said on social media that his forces had taken control of several positions in Kidal and Gao. Reuters was unable to independently verify this information. Four security sources said al-Qaeda’s regional affiliate Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) was also involved in Saturday’s attacks. There was no immediate claim of responsibility from JNIM, which frequently attacks military installations across much of Mali, nor from the Islamic State in the Sahel (ISSP). A government spokesperson and another for the Malian Army have not yet responded to requests for comment. Gunshots near airport Gunshots were also heard early Saturday morning near a military camp near Bamako airport that houses Russian mercenaries, a resident said. “We heard gunshots heading towards the military camp. It’s not the airport itself, but the camp that protects it,” said the resident, on condition of anonymity for security reasons. The government led by Assimi Goita has relied on Russian mercenaries for security support, while initially avoiding military cooperation with Western countries. Recently, however, it has sought closer ties with the United States. Reuters reported in March that Mali and the United States were close to an agreement that would allow Washington to resume aircraft and drone flights over the African country’s airspace to collect intelligence on jihadist groups.

Source link